Trust the Process (or Not)...

  

Brian Cashman (Photo Credit: Charles Wenzelberg/The New York Post)

Boone and Cashman meet the Media for post-season presser…

Yankees manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman held their annual end-of-season press conference on Friday which essentially equated to ninety minutes of “not much”. Brian Cashman proved yet again that he is a master deflector with words.

I think it is important to remember the Yankees are not going to reveal their cards to the public. The season may be over, but “the game has just begun” in terms of offseason strategy. There is no way the Yankees would rip their own players, coaches, and front office executives (or ownership). There are too many adverse ramifications of negativity, and it would be counterproductive in the team’s efforts to improve for 2023. Trades and free agent signings are dependent upon the perception of value.  

  

Clearly, the elephant in the room is the impending free agency of Aaron Judge. The Judge negotiations will determine what the Yankees are able to accomplish this offseason. If the talks drag out until January or February, the Yankees will seemingly be an unlikely aggressor in trades and free agent signings for other impact players.  Best case scenario, which Cashman alluded to, would be quick resolution if Judge wants to stay. Sadly, I think Judge will take his time and visit the other interested clubs. He has earned the right and this is his once in a lifetime opportunity to make the largest financial investment in his life and career. Who would not want to wine and dine with the executives and top players of other teams telling you how great you are and what you would mean for their organizations? Everyone loves to be wanted. So, even if Judge has a desire to be a Yankee for life, it will not be a quick signing.

Of all the off-season’s in recent memory, this is as pessimistic as I have ever been. There is a genuine fear the Yankees will attempt to “run it back” with the same guys (with or without Aaron Judge).

It was evident the Yankees have much confidence in their “process”. I wish they would recognize the process is flawed and requires modification. Perhaps, behind the scenes, those discussions are actively underway. The players need to improve, sure, but the process needs to improve too.  Brian Cashman will never admit he failed. It is not in his vocabulary. Maybe that is part of his persona that allows him to thrive in New York. I try not to read too much into Cashman’s words, but hope…trust…he is making the right decisions and choses behind closed doors. 

Aaron Boone blamed Josh Donaldson’s disappointing production on the lockout and subsequent trade during spring training. He feels Donaldson is better than he showed offensively this season and can be more productive next season. That is not a bet I would make, but honestly, regardless of what the Yankees do with Donaldson, Boone must say he is capable of more. Unloading Donaldson and his contract would be a boon, no pun intended, even if the Yankees must include cash (also, no pun intended). 

Josh Donaldson (Photo Credit: ESPN.com)

The real cost is the prospect capital it might take to entice another team to make a deal for a soon-to-be 37-year-old third baseman with tremendous glove but declining production. Good luck with that one, Cashman.

I expected news of Brian Cashman’s extension. His contract expired October 31^st and although he acknowledged brief conversations with Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner, there is no contract extension yet. So, Cashman continues as an at-will employee. Asked if other teams had reached out to him, he deflected the question saying they cannot while he remains in the employ of the Yankees. With so much to be accomplished in the coming days, weeks, and months, you would think Steinbrenner is motivated to get Cashman’s new contract finished as quickly as possible.

Whether we believe Cashman should continue his role as General Manager for baseball’s greatest franchise or not, the truth is he is here to stay if he wants to. Complaining about it is pointless. Hal Steinbrenner is not his father, and Brian Cashman helps feed the Steinbrenner family. Nothing as joyous for Hal as the achievement of the 2022 MLB Profitability Championship. 

Hal Steinbrenner (Photo Credit: Corey Sipkin/AP)

It is tiring to hear the team’s continued defense of Isiah Kiner-Falefa. IKF should NOT be the Yankees starting shortstop in 2023. While many fans are clamoring for Anthony Volpe to be the Opening Day starter, he is not ready. Maybe at some point next season but for now, he needs to finish his development in Triple A. Oswald Peraza should be the starter when the Yankees take the field at Yankee Stadium on March 30^th to play the (hopefully Aaron Judge-less) San Francisco Giants.

I would love Trea Turner, who has expressed a desire to return to the East Coast, but I will not get my hopes up for that one.

No surprise with Cashman’s announcement of the intent to pick up Luis Severino’s option. The Yankees would have been foolish not to. It WAS surprising that no decisions have been made regarding whether DJ LeMahieu needs surgery. Could be a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situation with the risks for and against surgery. I am hopeful for the best, yet we must be prepared he might not be ready for Spring Training. 

Anthony Rizzo will opt out. As a proven team leader and strong performer on the field, the Yankees need to make Rizzo a priority. I am worried that the heavy focus on Aaron Judge could cause the Yankees to lose sight of Rizzo. I hope not. I am not in a hurry to see the return of an iron glove at first base like we had with Luke Voit. Sorry Luke…love the personality and the bat…but the glove, not so much.

Rizzo buys time for the organization to prepare TJ Rumsfield, Tyler Hardman (if he is moved from third base) or Austin Wells (if he is moved from catcher) for eventual ascension to first base at Yankee Stadium. Smooth transitions without a “stopgap” are best.

Austin Wells (Photo Credit: NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Another priority is pitching coach Matt Blake. If Blake leaves, it seems the Yankees would replace him with another young analytics-driven coach. The fans’ choice would be David Cone. I have always thought, for sentimental reasons, Mel Stottlemyre, Jr would be an interesting choice. The son of the legendary Yankees pitcher and pitching coach was part of Don Mattingly’s coaching staff in Miami and has built a strong reputation for his role with pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez. However, the Marlins just announced they have signed him to a new contract that places him among the highest-paid MLB pitching coaches.

The offseason awards for Aaron Judge have begun. The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) has named Judge the American League Outstanding Player and the overall Outstanding Player with their 2022 Players Choice Awards.

Per MLBPA:

“Aaron Judge captivated the baseball world with his power and all-around hitting acumen in 2022. His 62 home runs broke Roger Maris’ 61-year-old American League record. Judge also led the majors in runs scored (133), OBP (.425), slugging (.686), OPS (1.111) and extra-base hits, while tying for first with 131 RBI. He led the majors by 16 home runs, the largest gap at the top of the home run leader board since Jimmie Foxx outpaced the pack by 17 in 1932. Judge’s MLB-leading 391 total bases were the most by an AL player since Alex Rodriguez recorded 393 for the Texas Rangers in 2001.”

Congratulations to Aaron Judge for the first of many offseason accolades and awards. The best possible award, for me, is Judge’s signature on a new Yankees contract.

Aaron Judge (Photo Credit: Chris Donovan/The New York Times)

Two Gold Glove Award winners. Jose Trevino and DJ LeMahieu were chosen as Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners last Tuesday.

For Trevi, this is his first Gold Glove. Funny how last November, porous defense at the catching position (namely Gary Sanchez) was a hot topic of discussion. Funny how quickly things change.

LeMahieu is a four-time GG winner, but his first with the Yankees. This year’s award is for the newly created AL Utility position. LeMahieu’s prior awards were for second base with the Colorado Rockies.

While Trevi and LeMahieu should be congratulated, so should Anthony Rizzo and Josh Donaldson for their stellar glove play. No doubt Harrison Bader will be in the conversation for 2023.  I love exemplary defense (except when Aaron Boone tries to use it to defend IKF). 

As always, Go Yankees!

Fantasy Baseball: The Outfield

You know the hardest thing about fantasy baseball, well besides the daily grind of changing lineups and scouring the waiver wire at any second of any day to get that one guy that may or may not put you over the hump, is draft day. Draft day can make or break you if you draft too early or don’t do your research. I’ve seen people draft guys who got injured a day later or the day before and had to miss the entire season and I’ve seen guys just simply pass on great talents, not even sleeper picks, because they didn’t know or see. This can especially be tough in the outfield because you need three starting outfielders and at least one guy on the bench, usually two or more, but have no fear for I am here to help. I hope to anyway.

If you don’t get one of Mike Trout or Mookie Betts then you may be in a predicament this season and chances are that you will get neither. Following those two, in no real particular order because each player brings something different to the table so it depends on your needs, are Bryce Harper of the Nationals, Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies, Trea Turner of the Nationals (who is also eligible in the infield), Starling Marte of the Pirates, A.J. Pollock of the Diamondbacks, George Springer of the Astros, Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins, Nelson Cruz of the Rangers, J.D. Martinez of the Tigers, Gregory Polanco of the Pirates, Yoenis Cespedes of the Mets, Billy Hamilton of the Reds and Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies.

It is also worth keeping in mind that Ian Desmond is eligible at multiple positions including the outfield but will miss the beginning of the season with a broken hand. If your team is pretty well stacked and you feel you can wait a month or so on him and Desmond is there towards the end of the draft I don’t see why you shouldn’t pick him. You can always place him on the waiver wire later if a better fit arose. Take a chance. Chances can win you a league but it can also lose you a league but the eternal optimist in me always leans towards my genius plan unfolding where I win the league… so let’s go with that.

My sleeper pick is going to be David Peralta of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Peralta missed much of the 2016 season after a wrist injury limited him to just 48 games but his 2015 season was strong, especially against a right-handed pitcher. If you can afford a platoon and can afford to take a chance on a player coming back from an injury then Peralta will likely be a strong candidate for your team. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo seems against the idea of platooning Peralta so he should get the at-bats to put up decent numbers, especially for a guy who can be taken anywhere from the 15^th round or later. 

So there you have it, a few suggestions for your fantasy baseball draft when it comes to outfielders. I hope this information helps in some way. Enjoy, bookmark and tell your friends. 

Fantasy Baseball: Second Basemen

We looked at the shortstops of your respective fantasy baseball leagues this morning so it seems only fitting to check in with their double-play combo’s here this afternoon. The second baseman. Second base is generally thought of as a defensive-first and offensively anemic position with a few stars, a few sleepers and a slew of guys stuck in the middle. Here are the stars and the sleepers that could potentially help you win your league in 2017.

If I were to rank my Top Five second baseman in the league in order of how I would draft them I would have to start with Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros and follow it up with Trea Turner of the Washington Nationals, Robinson Cano of the Seattle Mariners, Rougned Odor of the Texas Rangers and Brian Dozier of the Minnesota Twins. If I were to expand that list to include my 6^th – 10^th best second basemen in the league I would include Matt Carpenter of the St. Louis Cardinals, Jason Kipnis of the Cleveland Indians (although a recent injury will likely keep him on the disabled list to start the season), Daniel Murphy of the Washington Nationals, Jonathan Villar of the Milwaukee Brewers (who is also eligible at shortstop) and Ian Kinsler of the Detroit Tigers. Sorry Yankees fans, Starlin Castro would not make this list but the “homer” in me would likely make Robert Refsnyder an honorable mention just for the whole shock value and comedic aspect of it all.

If you want a solid player that can play all over the board you may want to look at Ben Zobrist, although he is far from a sleeper or an unknown commodity at this point so good luck, as he is eligible at the position. If you’re looking for a true sleeper though then look no further than Devon Travis of the Toronto Blue Jays. When healthy Travis can hit .300 with plenty of extra-base hits, RBI and runs scored in that deep Toronto lineup. Travis could give you 10-15 home run power, or more depending on how friendly the Rogers Centre is to him in Toronto, along with a ton of stolen bases if healthy. The best part about Travis is that you can get him at the end of your draft in the 16-18^th round or maybe even later depending on the pool of competitors.

If all else fails you can just take a Dee Gordon of the Miami Marlins or a Starlin Castro of the Yankees and fill in the gaps where they lack elsewhere. Castro should still give you 20-home run power and Gordon should get on base and steal bases with Giancarlo Stanton behind him looking to knock him in. It’s not ideal but sometimes you have to simply do the best you can with what you have.

And that’s that. Now go grab you a fantasy baseball second basemen! Good luck!

IBWAA SELECTS SEAGER, FULMER IN ROOKIE AWARDS VOTE

Los Angeles – The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced the winners in its rookie category Monday, with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Corey Seager winning the 2016 IBWAA National League Rookie of the Year award, and Michael Fulmer, of the Detroit Tigers, being selected as the 2016 IBWAA American League Rookie winner.

 

Seager received 173 first-place votes (97.74%) and 875 points while being named on all 177 ballots. Others receiving first-place votes include Trevor Story (2) and Trea Turner (1).

 

Fulmer received 101 first-place votes (57.39%) and 662 points while being named on 156 of 176 ballots (88.14%). Others receiving first-place votes include Gary Sanchez (58), Nomar Mazara (7) and Tyler Naquin (5).

 

Election results are as follows:

 

NL Rookie:

 

1^st Place:                  Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers – 875 points
2^nd Place:                 Trea Turner, Washington Nationals – 255 
3^rd Place :                  Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies – 159

 

AL Rookie:

 

1^st Place:                  Michael Fulmer, Detroit Tigers – 662 points
2^nd Place:                 Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees – 543
3^rd Place:                  Tyler Naquin, Cleveland Indians – 162

 

Ballot tabulations by Brian Wittig & Associates, using the Borda Method.

 

The IBWAA was established July 4, 2009 to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as a digital alternative to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). Voting for full season awards takes place in September of each year, with selections being announced in November. The IBWAA also holds a Hall of Fame election in December of each year, with results being announced the following January.

 
Among approximately 460 others, IBWAA members include Jim Bowden, Jim Caple, Schoenfield and Mark A. Simon of ESPN.com; Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports; Craig Calcaterra, NBC Sports Hardball Talk; Bill Chuck, GammonsDaily.com; Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Jon Heyman, Today’s Knuckleball; Danny Knobler, Bleacher Report; Kevin Kennedy; Kostya Kennedy, Sports Illustrated; Will Leitch, Sports on Earth; Bruce Markusen, Hardball Times; Ross Newhan; Dayn Perry and Matt Snyder, CBSSports.com; Tom Hoffarth and J.P. Hoornstra Los Angeles Daily News; Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times; Tracy Ringolsby, MLB.com; Ken Rosenthal, FoxSports.com; Eno Sarris, FanGraphs and Jesse Spector, Sporting News.

 

Association membership is open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a lifetime fee of $75. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available. Members must be 18 years of age to apply.

 

For more information please visit www.ibwaa.com.

Looking Back at My 2016 Rookie of the Year Predictions

Spoiler alert, I didn’t have Gary Sanchez winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award back during the preseason when I made these predictions. That may be a severe lack of judgement on my part but I’m sure you guys are used to that if you’ve been reading my work and my predictions long enough. I don’t tend to get them right as often as I probably should, I guess that’s why I’m a poor man with a blog and not a rich man who won the lottery or invented some new tool or device that took the country by storm. And FYI, I’m okay with that.

Here are my predictions I made back in March of this year:

In the American League there is a name we’ve heard a ton about for a long, long time. That name is Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, a longtime top prospect in Major League Baseball. The Twins have been patient with the young outfielder and they finally got some dividends paid back in 2015. Buxton hit .209/.250/.326 in 138 plate appearances in 2015 and is still considered a prospect for the 2016 season meaning he is still eligible to win the American League’s version of the ROY Award, and he will in my estimation. Let’s not forget that Mike Trout began his career in 2011 with a 40 game stint that included a .220/.281/.390 triple slash. 

Don’t be surprised if Luis Severino is listed somewhere in the final voting though, this kid has all the making of being pretty special. (Edit: hahahahahahahaha) 

In the National League I considered going with Steven Matz of the New York Mets or Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers but I ultimately landed on the starting shortstop for the Washington Nationals, Trea Turner.  Turner burst onto the scene in a big way in 2015 posting a .322/.370/.458 triple slash with 29 stolen bases in the minor leagues before making a quick cameo in the Major Leagues last season. With Ian Desmond out the Nationals will give the bulk of the playing time to Turner giving him plenty of opportunities and plenty of runners on base in front of him to get him the award. 

I wanted to go with Carlos Martinez of St. Louis but that suspension is going to eat up much of his season leaving him on the outside looking in. 

Fantasy Baseball: Summer Prospect Call Ups

So you want to win your Fantasy Baseball league but you’re struggling right now? Have no fear, the season is still young and there is plenty of young talent toiling in the minor leagues just chomping at the bit to get called up to the majors. If the trade waiver or free agent waiver have yet to bear any fruit for you this season then maybe you should watch these teams transactions pages and lookout for these players that are likely coming up to the Major Leagues this season. All of them could have huge impacts on their teams, the playoff races and your fantasy teams. 

We’ve already seen the Cubs kick off the summer prospect call up frenzy with the call up of Willson Contreras so if he’s still sitting out there on your free agent market then he may be worth the look. It’s unlikely though that the Cubs #2 prospect is still on the board as a catcher and for good reason. He’s an intriguing prospect that can field his position as well as knock the cover off the ball as we saw in his first game Sunday night against A.J. Schugel. If he’s there snatch him up, especially at his position and especially if you’re in a keeper league. 

Speaking of the Cubs they have another guy who is likely to come up this season and stay up in Albert Almora. When Jorge Soler went down with an injury Almora was the first to be called up and the sixth overall pick in 2012 and the Cubs sixth best prospect according to Baseball America may hit enough to force Soler to the Yankees or another team in a trade this summer. Almora is just 22-years old but to watch him play you would think he’s been in the show for 22 years. Snatch him up if you have an extra outfield slot on your team. 

Another position that is traditionally thin in fantasy baseball but has a pair of players that are slated to make big impacts and last impacts in the bigs is the shortstop position. The Chicago White Sox have already designated Jimmy Rollins for assignment to begin the Tim Anderson era while many in Washington are wondering when the Trea Turner era will begin for the Nationals. Both are big stars and impactful stars not only to their teams but could be to your playoff push in fantasy baseball as well.  

That’s enough with the position players, what if you need pitching? Well Jameson Taillon is likely already off your boards after the Pittsburgh Pirates called him up but he may stick around even after Gerrit Cole returns off the disabled list. Francisco Liriano, Jeff Locke, Juan Nicasio and Ryan Vogelson are all struggling or injured leaving Taillon the opportunity to snatch a starting rotation spot for the remainder of the season.

So there you have it. Some impact names that can help you this season and beyond if you’re in a keeper league. Grab them now though if you have a slot you can play around with because they won’t be there for long once everyone else catches on. Hope this helps. 

Most Popular Article of the Week: Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals and the Yankees Three-Headed Bullpen Monster

The New York Yankees continue to slide in the standings both in the American League East Division and in the chase for the Wild Card slots which could mean a trade or three are on the horizon for the Yankees. New York made players like Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda, Brett Gardner and others available this winter and even more could be available this summer including all of the Yankees three-headed monster in the bullpen that is commonly referred to as “No Runs DMC” inside Yankee Stadium. The Chicago Cubs are already said to be scouting these three and some reports have even suggested that Theo Epstein may want two of the three, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman. While the Cubs may have MLB ready talent to trade for both I think it would be foolish to trade both to one team, especially after the Washington Nationals just lost their closer Jonathan Papelbon.


If the Yankees want to do this right and corner the market while using two teams against each other they should trade one to Chicago, preferably Chapman for Jorge Soler straight up if possible, and the other to Washington, Miller for a list of players we will showcase here in this post. I prefer Miller to go to Washington because the Nationals have more in the way of prospects and talent than Chicago does down on their minor league farm affiliates. Here are a few potential players the Yankees could ask for from Washington if a trade involving Andrew Miller were to occur.


I may be reaching for the stars but the first names out of Brian Cashman’s mouth need to be Treat Turner and Lucas Giolito. You can accept less for Miller, who is not a rental unlike Chapman hence my willingness to accept “Baby Puig” in return for him despite his lackluster career numbers, but you have to absolutely ask for the sky and meet in the middle here. Giolito is the Nats best pitching prospect at 21-years old and is fresh off an Eastern League (Double-A) Pitcher of the Week Award. Meanwhile Turner made his MLB debut this season for Washington and quietly went 3-for-3 opening some eyes inside the organization.




If you take less for Miller you take less but prying one of these two away from Washington would be absolutely huge for the Yankees. Turner is another middle infielder that the Yankees may not necessarily need but he’s got a talent set and a tool bag big enough that you have to make room for while Giolito may just be the real deal and a real deal for a long time. Ask for the moon, settle for less if you have to. Just don’t trade both Miller and Chapman to Chicago when the Yankees have all the leverage over both Chicago AND Washington this summer. Stay tuned.

Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals and the Yankees Three-Headed Bullpen Monster

The New York Yankees continue to slide in the standings both in the American League East Division and in the chase for the Wild Card slots which could mean a trade or three are on the horizon for the Yankees. New York made players like Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda, Brett Gardner and others available this winter and even more could be available this summer including all of the Yankees three-headed monster in the bullpen that is commonly referred to as “No Runs DMC” inside Yankee Stadium. The Chicago Cubs are already said to be scouting these three and some reports have even suggested that Theo Epstein may want two of the three, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman. While the Cubs may have MLB ready talent to trade for both I think it would be foolish to trade both to one team, especially after the Washington Nationals just lost their closer Jonathan Papelbon.

If the Yankees want to do this right and corner the market while using two teams against each other they should trade one to Chicago, preferably Chapman for Jorge Soler straight up if possible, and the other to Washington, Miller for a list of players we will showcase here in this post. I prefer Miller to go to Washington because the Nationals have more in the way of prospects and talent than Chicago does down on their minor league farm affiliates. Here are a few potential players the Yankees could ask for from Washington if a trade involving Andrew Miller were to occur.

I may be reaching for the stars but the first names out of Brian Cashman’s mouth need to be Treat Turner and Lucas Giolito. You can accept less for Miller, who is not a rental unlike Chapman hence my willingness to accept “Baby Puig” in return for him despite his lackluster career numbers, but you have to absolutely ask for the sky and meet in the middle here. Giolito is the Nats best pitching prospect at 21-years old and is fresh off an Eastern League (Double-A) Pitcher of the Week Award. Meanwhile Turner made his MLB debut this season for Washington and quietly went 3-for-3 opening some eyes inside the organization.

If you take less for Miller you take less but prying one of these two away from Washington would be absolutely huge for the Yankees. Turner is another middle infielder that the Yankees may not necessarily need but he’s got a talent set and a tool bag big enough that you have to make room for while Giolito may just be the real deal and a real deal for a long time. Ask for the moon, settle for less if you have to. Just don’t trade both Miller and Chapman to Chicago when the Yankees have all the leverage over both Chicago AND Washington this summer. Stay tuned. 

Predicting the AL& NL Rookies of the Year

Every year around this time I roll out my predictions for the major awards, the standings, the division winners, the playoffs and even the World Series because I’m a glutton for punishment. Why? Because I’m wrong about 75% of the time, if not more, but it is fun to do pre-season and it’s fun to look back at in October or November so 2016 won’t be any different. We’ll start it off with a few players that are starting off their Major League careers in 2016 as I take a stab at predicting the American league and National League’s Rookie of the Year Award winners.

In the American League there is a name we’ve heard a ton about for a long, long time. That name is Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, a longtime top prospect in Major League Baseball. The Twins have been patient with the young outfielder and they finally got some dividends paid back in 2015. Buxton hit .209/.250/.326 in 138 plate appearances in 2015 and is still considered a prospect for the 2016 season meaning he is still eligible to win the American League’s version of the ROY Award, and he will in my estimation. Let’s not forget that Mike Trout began his career in 2011 with a 40 game stint that included a .220/.281/.390 triple slash.

Don’t be surprised if Luis Severino is listed somewhere in the final voting though, this kid has all the making of being pretty special.

In the National League I considered going with Steven Matz of the New York Mets or Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers but I ultimately landed on the starting shortstop for the Washington Nationals, Trea Turner.  Turner burst onto the scene in a big way in 2015 posting a .322/.370/.458 triple slash with 29 stolen bases in the minor leagues before making a quick cameo in the Major Leagues last season. With Ian Desmond out the Nationals will give the bulk of the playing time to Turner giving him plenty of opportunities and plenty of runners on base in front of him to get him the award.

I wanted to go with Carlos Martinez of St. Louis but that suspension is going to eat up much of his season leaving him on the outside looking in. 

MLB, Rookies and Fantasy Baseball

Have you had your Fantasy Baseball Draft yet? If not we have a couple more tips, tricks and potential sleepers to send your way before you do. We slacked off a bit last month on the Fantasy baseball discussion only because I had so much prospects related content to use as a part of Prospects Month that something had to give and these posts got the axe temporarily. Have no fear though as they are back and keeping with the prospect spirit we will bring you a handful of rookies and prospects to keep on your watch list as you prepare for your draft. Some can help on Opening Day and some won’t likely help before July so keep this post bookmarked all season long just in case, you might need it.

Corey Seager is expected to be the Los Angeles Dodgers starting shortstop on Day One in 2016 and like I say with any National League player he should see what I like to refer to as some “cupcake” competition next season. The NL will boast two or three of the worst teams in MLB next season with the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers while teams in the Dodgers own division, the Padres especially, are planning on tearing things down and building back up slowly. Get Seager if you can because he is going to be a great shortstop for you in 2016.

The same can be said for fellow shortstop Trea Turner of the Washington Nationals. While Seager will see enough of those teams much of the NL expects to beat up on Turner will see them around 20 times per season each. Turner made a nice debut with Washington in 2015 batting .322/.370/.458 and he possesses 30 stolen base potential as well making him a potential bargain for fantasy owners.

Everything I said about Seager can be applied to the Minnesota Twins future center fielder and top prospect Byron Buxton with the exception of the fact that Buxton will play in the American League in one of the tougher divisions in baseball. Buxton is lightning quick though and you don’t get named top prospect in all of baseball twice if you’re a slouch everywhere else, Buxton is going to be special.

Is Steven Matz still considered a prospect? If so you have to have him on your radar as he fits in with the rest of those aces and #2’s in the New York Mets rotation. He’s finally back and healthy from Tommy John surgery and is primed to make a huge impact in 2016 both in fantasy and in the NL East Division.

I guess the same could be said for Byung-Ho Park of the Minnesota Twins and Hyun-soo Kim of the Baltimore Orioles. They are both technically rookies but at 29-years old and 28-years old respectively Park hit 50 home runs in back-to-back seasons in Korea before coming over to the states and is expected to be either the every day first baseman or DH while Kim will showcase his keen batting eye and outrageous contact skills to channel his inner Ichiro Suzuki.

The final prospect we cover today will miss at least 50 games this season with a drug suspension, the St. Louis Cardinals top pitching prospect Alex Reyes. Reyes is already overpowering hitters with a 95+ MPH fastball that can reach as high as 100 MPH when he really reaches back for it. Reyes failed a test for marijuana and not steroids but either way he could be a bargain and an absolute steal in your fantasy draft.

Early 2016 Rookie of the Year Award Hopefuls

Times are slow so I am looking ahead a bit to the 2016 Major League Baseball season. I'm excited for 2016 after seeing the 2015 season form into the Year of the Rookie with a multitude of young guns making not only their MLB debut's but huge impacts on their respective teams. Could we see a similar outcome in 2016? Judging by the early lot of potential Rookie of the Year candidates for the 2016 season it could be another year for the young guys.

This is a Yankees blog so we naturally start with two guys the Yankees could have competing for the honor, backup catcher Gary Sanchez and second baseman Robert Refsnyder. As it stands today it looks like Sanchez will get the opportunity to build off a huge Arizona Fall League and 2015 season while Refsnyder looks to be your Opening Day second baseman against a LHP Dallas Keuchel. At bats, games played and opportunities sometimes make or break a ROY season, see Francisco Lindor from 2015, and both of these men should get plenty of reps and opportunities. Refsnyder should play three or four times a week while Sanchez could back up Brian McCann and Alex Rodriguez at the DH position all season long.

The Nationals have a pair of rookies that could make a huge impact in 2016 as well with infielder Trea Turner and RHP Lucas Giolito. Turner has 20-home run power or more and ranks 80 on a 20-80 scouts scale in speed while Giolito throws a mid-90's fastball and dominated Double-A and the All Stars Futures Game in 2015.

Corey Seager was the top overall prospect in all of Major League Baseball at the end of the 2015 season before the Los Angeles Dodgers called him up. Seager still has his rookie status and looks to make an impact with the team with the highest payroll in Major League Baseball history, and he has the talent to do so.

Jose Berrios is filthy, throws hard and is making opposing batters look absolutely foolish in Triple-A for the Minnesota Twins affiliate. He will be up in 2016 and could take the team, the AL Central Division and the league by storm.

There are always guys that aren't mentioned during the offseason that come up by mid-season and make an impact. Happens every year and it will likely happen again in 2016. This is your leading crop of rookies as it stands right now though in my opinion.